April 2016 Edition - Lawrence Transportation Services

LTX, INC.
LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
April 2016
•
•
•
•
•
Full Service Truck Leasing & Rental
Freight Management
Fleet Management
Trucking
Warehousing & Distribution
Quarterly Newsletter
Volume 22, Issue 2
G R O W I N G W I T H O U R C U S TO M E R S
Our newsletter has featured Upper Lakes
Foods, Seal-Rite Door, and Werner
Electric as full-service lease customers that
have long-standing relationships with Lawrence
NationaLease (LNL). There have been upgrades and expansions in those relationships.
Upper Lakes Foods (ULF) is in the food service business with a forty-year history of helping thousands of customers thrive by providing
innovative and cost effective products and services. Those products and services include a lot more than food supply. When they do, the distribution comes from centers in ULF’s
service areas, and the delivery vehicles are full-service lease tractors and trailers from LNL.
ULF recently replaced their Volvo 670 tractors, leased from LNL, with four, brand new, 2017 Volvo 670s with new graphics and a
color change from light blue to white. ULF is also taking delivery of eleven , 2017 Vanguard multi-temp trailers with new graphics and refrigeration in three sections divided
by bulkheads that can range from freezing to cool temperatures.
Seal-Rite Door was established in 1981 and focused on Therma-Tru residential entry doors and patio systems. The company has grown almost geometrically right
through its acquisition by Palmer-Donavin in 2013 and remains focused on Therma-Tru
entry door products.
LNL has provided full-service leasing to Seal-Rite locations in Hebron, Ohio;
Lansing, Michigan; and Rockford, Illinois. Last Year Seal-Rite purchased a location in
Burnsville, Minnesota that utilized
a competitor’s full-service lease
program. Seal-Rite changed that
location to LNL’s program. Since
then, LNL has replaced two straight
truck chassis and has repainted
the entire fleet from metallic green
to white. At this writing, the entire
Seal-Rite fleet has been converted
to LNL Full-Service Lease.
One of Werner Electric’s Kenworth T370’s Werner Electric continues to expand in Wisconsin, where it was founded, in Michigan, and at Minnesota
Locations in Burnsville, Owatonna, and Mankato. The company serves multiple markets including commercial, contractor, OEM and system integration.
This Newsletter’s message about the importance of growing with customers
ends With Werner Electric’s having added two new full-service lease vehicles from LNL,
a new Kenworth T370 straight truck and a new Ford Transport 9500 GVW Van for their
Mankato location.
Lawrence Transportation Services
860 Bench Street, Red Wing, Minnesota 55066
651-388-7067
800-363-0321
LAWRENCE WAREHOUSING & DISTRIBUTION
INITIATES APPOINTMENTS PLUS
A primary goal of every company is continuous improvement in the quality of its products and
services, in efficiencies that reduce cost, and ultimately, in the overall satisfaction of its customers. Late last
year Lawrence Warehousing and Distribution along with its long-term partner, Bay State Milling, took a significant
improvement step at its facilities in Kellogg and Winona, Minnesota.
Before the change, trucks, drivers and freight came and left the warehouses on a First-Come/First Served basis. Unloading and loading operations could be sporadic, too often resulting in long waits and driver
detention times. Planning for inbound and outbound shipments required
too much guess work.
The Winona and Kellogg warehouses began implementing inbound appointments and then found a need for outbound appointments as well.
Improvement came in the form of “Appointments Plus.” Even though
the change initially affected only a handful of customers each week, the
results were immediate and dramatic. Inbound and outbound loads were predictable,
Cory Putz
shipping and receiving could be accurately scheduled, and the entire process became far
more manageable for warehouse employees, drivers and customers.
The early, gradual implementation of Appointments Plus, and the subsequent experience gained, made
it possible for Warehousing’s biggest customer, Bay State Milling, to make the transition on February 16, 2016.
Now the change affected about 250 loads per week, and the new system allowed up to 55 loads per day with the
room to add more as needed.
Cory Putz, Warehouse Operation Manager, made a number of observations regarding the implementation
and early success of Appointments Plus; “It didn’t take long to see positive results. Driver wait times dropped to
virtually nothing. The overall moral of the employees skyrocketed because there was no more guesswork about
their daily workload or when their shift was over. And efficiencies significantly improved because employees
were working as a team. While it took time, effort, and real proof to convince some of our customers to approve
the switch to Appointments Plus, the change has been nothing but positive for the drivers, for the customers, for
the employees, and our entire warehousing operation.”
A GRAND FOR YOUR
REFERRAL
Lawrence Transportation Company
needs good drivers and Lawrence NationaLease
needs good technicians, and the people within all
of the LTX, Inc. subsidiary companies are most familiar with just the kind of drivers and technicians
they need. That’s why it’s nice to be able to fill
these positions through
“inside” referrals, and
that’s why we are willing to pay $1000 to any
of our employees who
refers a driver or technician, who is then hired,
and who then successfully completes their 90 day probationary period.
If you have a driver in mind,call Lacie Tingesdal at
800-328-7224 or [email protected].
For a technician referral, contact Howard Ketel at
651-388-7067 or [email protected].
THE COWBOY CODE
This past quarter Marilyn and I have had the opportunity to spend time in the
Southwest. We are Midwesterners and I don’t ever see that changing. Our
family, our friends, our business, and a myriad of activities are all in the upper
Midwest. It’s where we live, what we do, and what we care about.
Different areas of the country have different cultures but the feel and the history of the Southwest, especially in New Mexico, Arizona and parts of California
(excluding major metro areas) are western at heart.
I ran across a small booklet, written by Texan Bix
Bender, called the “Code of the West”. It is a Cowboy’s code to life. The code goes like this:
• Write it in your heart.
• Standby the code and it will stand by you.
• Ask no more and give no less than honesty, courage, loyalty, generosity, and fairness.
Steve Lawrence,
The bottom line is that I think we should all try as
LTX, Inc. CEO
hard as we can to live by the cowboy code.
Bix also had the following advice for all cowboys: “Don’t squat with yer spurs
on”.
Everybody have a great spring and don’t plant your flowers too early..
ROBERT LINDGREN
Our Congratulations, Thanks, and Best Wishes
Congratulations to one of our safest and most professional drivers. Lawrence
Transportation was proud to honor our driver, Bob Lindgren, at the Minnesota Trucking Association (MTA), Driver of the Year Banquet on January 26, 2016. Bob was
Driver of the Month in March of 2015 and has been with
Lawrence for 32 years with over four million safe miles.
Bob began his professional driving career just as soon
as he received his chauffeur’s license. Since then he
has driven motor coach for cadets at the United States
Military Academy at West Point and cab-over for Carlson Trucking out of Parker’s Prairie, Minnesota while he earned a Bachelors Degree
in Business Administration. Bob didn’t take a desk job after graduation; instead, he
went back to the job he had learned to love: his “cab job.”
In the 32 years since, Bob has accomplished more than most. Since “signing
on” with Wilson Refrigerated Express and continuing through the company’s acquisition by LTC, he has logged over 4 million miles and has earned 27 Annual Safety Awards. Bob Lindgren
Bob and his wife, Diane, have been married for 37 years and have four children. In addition to his dedication to his family, he has been a member of the Kasson American Legion Post for decades serving for two years
as its Commander. Bob is a lifetime member of the Owner/Operator Independent Driver Association, a Volunteer
for the Dodge County (Minnesota) Habitat for Humanity, and a Member of Saint John’s Lutheran Church for more
than 40 years. We add our thanks to all of those people and organizations that have enjoyed the privilege of
knowing and working with Bob.
Finally, we want to add our best wishes to Bob on his retirement which officially began on March 31,
2016. Given all that he continues to enjoy, the organizations in which he continues to play an active role, and his
evident courtesy and outgoing regard for people, his retirement will certainly be rewarding. According to Bob,
“I enjoy traveling to new places and meeting new people. Every day is different with its own challenges and
rewards. I have had a career’s-worth of doing what I enjoyed.”
Everyone at Lawrence feels fortunate to have had Bob on our team, and
we wish him all the best for the future.
MEET SUE BITTNER
The business of business is staying in busi- Today’s proposals, rate quotes and even conness, and one key to that very basic strategy is people tracts are web-based. They are seldom developed in
who know and execute their responsibilities (jobs) very face-to-face meetings. It goes without saying that the
well. This quarter’s featured employee is
entire process beginning with a shipper’s
Sue Bittner, and she is exactly the kind of
need, to the selection of a carrier, to a conperson we’re talking about. In the opinion
tract, to a load on board, and a contracted
of Eric Lawrence, LTC’s President, “Sue’s
back-haul waiting is a lot more complicated
experience, depth of knowledge and exthan ever before. All of that is Sue Bittner’s
ceptional attention to detail are essential
responsibility.
to keeping our trucks loaded and moving,
Sue lives in Minnesota City and in addiand our business growing successfully.”
tion to fishing and reading, she likes sudu
Sue has more than 33 years of exko and crosswords. She has 3 children
perience in truck transportation beginning
and eight grandchildren, who she dotes on
with Schultz Transit in Winona, Minnesomore than she did with her own, and then
ta where her first responsibilities includsends home to their parents.
ed billing and dispatch. She joined Kujak
...and the really great thing for LTC is
Sue Bittner
Trucking in 1993 and came to LTC when it
that Sue has no intention of retiring soon
acquired Kujak. According to Sue, her responbecause she admits, “I still like the numbers. I
sibilities haven’t changed dramatically over all those enjoy the people I work with, and I have always liked
years, but the industry has.
challenge.”
Tricia’s Sculpture
Wellness Awards
Honda & Contact
• Congratulations to Adam and Cassandra Fournier on the
birth of their daughter Sienna Rose Marie on March 18th.
Adam is a technician in the Lawrence NationaLease (LNL)
shop in Winona, Minnesota.
• Lacie Tingesdal took her first solo airplane ride from
South Carolina where she was meeting with a new Lawrence
Transportation Company (LTC) customer, Brown Packing.
We will include more about Brown in later Newsletters, but
for now, all we have is Lacie’s look of wild apprehension as
Lacie
her carriage arrives - its the airplane you can’t see in the Adam, Cassandra &
Pre-Boarding background.
Sienna
• Congratulations to Jordan and Liz Ketel on the birth of
their son, George Francis. Jordan is Howard and Tina Ketel’s son, and Howard is LNL’s VP of Operations.
• Sue Curran has some important news: her daughter Madison gave birth to Nixon James on March 20th. His Grandmother reports that in barely a month Nixon has gained 2
pounds and is very nearly sleeping through the night.
• Casey Ide’s (LNL’s Warranty Manager, etc.) son Tanner
had a birthday. Casey over-emoted and wrote: “Casey
turned 4 on April 9th. We had a party.”
• Congratulations to grandfather and Grandmother, Ron &
George Francis
Suzi Adams, at LTC’s Council Bluffs Terminal. Their GrandSue & Nixon
daughter Nova Elizabeth born January 26th. 6 lbs 9 oz.
James
• Brian Burke, LTC Risk Manager , also sings and plays
instruments. The “Burke Band” recently performed at the Winona, Minnesota Health
Foundation’s “Benevolence Blues” gala. Brian, his two brothers, his 86 year-old father
and Amanda,“The Fiddler,” sang, played
guitars, blew tin whistles, and beat on a rathNova Elizabeth
er unique drum playing their way through
Celtic folk, acoustic rock, and original compositions.
Tanner & Casey
• Jeff Swanson, LNL Branch Manager in Madison,Wisconsin, sent us a rather disassembled picture of his old
Honda motorcycle which is in some phase of assembly,
restoration,or repair. Jeff may know which phase. We
write “may” because he included the caption, “I lost a
contact...it must be in here somewhere.”
• The winners, the entrants,the Wellness Committee
and our Facebook readers know that we had a Snowman Contest to get folks out of the house and exerBrian Burke
cising. Now our News(Axeman?)
letter readers know
too. There was a
tie between Jordan
Tingesdal
(Lacie’s son) and Tricia
Meyers, LTC’s Lead
Revenue
Accountant. They split movie tickets, popcorn
Jordan &
and hot cocoa to go.
Fellow Builders
T
H
E
P
E
O
P
L
E
P
A
G
E